Final Buzzer: Close Game, But 'W'hew as in Win

The music was playing in the Kraken locker room after Thursday's historic franchise win, just moments after head coach Dave Hakstol was motioning to players celebrating on the ice to make sure someone secured the game puck.

"We're going to do something nice with it," said center Jared McCann, who scored his second goal of the young season to tie the game at one during the middle of the first period.
The Kraken played the full 60 minutes Hakstol wants his team to play every NHL night. The result was a 4-3 suspenseful win over the Nashville Predators for the 32nd franchise's first win.
It provided a full night's entertainment - and final 20 nail-biting minutes - for Kraken fans watching on ROOT SPORTS back home in the Pacific Northwest and more than a few jersey-clad fans in the home team's stands.
Hakstol didn't appear eager to discuss the team's faults during media interviews. He smiled more than usual and complimented how "calm and focused" his players were on the bench, communicating between shifts in a third period that was predominantly played in the Seattle defensive zone.
"When you have a captain like Mark Giordano who is calm as can be, that helps," Hakstol said.

Let's soak in a historic night of encouraging observations:

Grubauer Comes Up Huge

When signing Philipp Grubauer was a sudden opportunity in the first hours of NHL Free Agency, Kraken GM Ron Francis and the team's ownership group didn't hesitate to make a done-deal offer. Thursday night's win in Nashville is one of what is expected to be many reasons why a decision to lock up the goaltender was swift and successful (one team had already called Grubauer's agent).
After a second-period goal by Nashville All-Star defenseman Roman Josi tied the game at two during the 5-on-3 power-play segment of two Kraken penalties, Grubauer notched four big saves during the final 84 seconds of a 5-on-4 penalty kill to keep the game even. He later made a point-blank save on Predators forward Yakov Trenin that broadcasters John Forslund and JT Brown deemed as the save of the night.
Grubauer offered some other best-save contenders in the third period, when the first Kraken shot on goal was actually Brandon Tanev's empty-net score to make it 4-2 late in the third period.

Close Game Alert

Get used to it Kraken fans. Your team is clearly capable of staying in games and winning games right from the jump of this inaugural NHL season.
Problem is, there will be more close games than not. While it's almost more fun when the win is recorded, there will be easy shifts for players and fans alike. Thursday was another example. After tying up the game early in the second period with a 96-miles-per-hour shot from the blue line on a 5-on-3 power play, Nashville All-Star defenseman Roman Josi no doubt had lots of Kraken fans wincing every time he touched the puck in the offensive zone.

New Guy on the Line

Center Alexander Wennberg (free agent signing) and winger Joonas Donskoi (expansion draft choice from a strong Colorado roster) were both projected to be among potential breakout goal scorers for the Kraken. Wennberg scored his first goal of the season on a play started by Donskoi's usual tenacity to win puck battles in tight quarters.
But the middleman in the goal-scoring play was not on anyone's Kraken radar until Monday, when young forward Alex Barre-Boulet was claimed off waivers from Tampa Bay. The undrafted forward took a feed from Donskoi and without hesitation moved the puck expertly to Wennberg, open and perched on the right side of goalie Juuse Saros' goal crease.
Wennberg used his skates to catch the puck (ahem, no kicking involved) and move it to his stick blade before Saros, watching Barre-Boulet, slid over laterally to stop it.
"It was an unbelievable pass," Wennberg told ROOT SPORTS reporter Jen Mueller during the second intermission. "He showed his [offensive] skills there."
"That was key play of the game, a helluva play," Hakstol said. "Alex was rock solid ...it was a game-changing play."

APB on 'ABB'

Barre-Boulet, 24, appeared in 15 games with the Lightning, scoring three goals but showing a set of offensive skills that prompted Tampa Bay GM Julien Brisebois to consider him a "top-six" forward and not a fourth-liner as a prospect. Hence, Tampa Bay tried to get "ABB" through waivers and be a player two-time Cup-winning coach Jon Cooper said would be a contributor at some point this season.
True, enough, but for the Kraken. Undrafted but a star player in the American Hockey League. In 144 games with AHL Syracuse, Barre-Boulet had 69 goals and 136 points. He was the AHL's Rookie of the Year in 2018-19 and was a top AHL scorer the last two seasons.
When he was claimed on waivers, Barre-Boulet called another undrafted forward and ex-teammates who also scored a lot in the AHL, then won two Stanley Cups, Yanni Gourde.

Power-Play Surge

The first period featured relevant lineup changes, the franchise's first power-play goals and a fight that showed more than a few fists flying.
Let's start with the power plays. The Kraken were 0-for-3 in Tuesday's road opener at Vegas, but the first unit of Ryan Donato, the Jaden Schwartz-Brian McCann-Jordan Eberle and "quarterback" Mark Giordano didn't waste much time on the first SEA power play of the night.
McCann scored on a hard shot from the point with assists from Eberle and Giordano. Like teammates Morgan Geekie and Donato, McCann has been seeking shots on goal since puck drop in Game 1. The result is McCann now has two opening goals in two games.
The aforementioned Barre-Boulet drew a second Nashville penalty less than a minute later. The man-advantage created Tanev's entry in the Kraken history books with his first goal of the year and the franchise's first-ever go-ahead goal, making it 2-1, a lead that held up after 20 minutes.

Brandon Tanev, Fan Favorite, Goal Scorer

Pretty sure Tanev blew a subtle kiss to the hostile crowd on his power-play goal celebration to go ahead 2-1 in the first period. But it's about the only quiet move he made all night. You will hear and see this a lot all season long: Tanev was motoring fast on both ends of the ice, getting his stick on pucks against many Predators carrying the rubber disc.
He also looks much more in offensive flow with Geekie and Donato as linemates. There might be other roles Tanev needs to fill throughout the season, but it sure will be fun to watch Tanev with those two guys when possible.
Tanev is even a crowd-pleaser after the whistle blows. He was clearly laughing it up with one of the night's referees, likely about the penalty he served during the last two minutes of the first frame.
His empty-net goal was a thing of joy for teammates and fans alike.
"He's out there scoring big goals and skating hard on the forecheck," Wennberg said. "We'll probably watch some video [before the next game in Columbus Saturday] but for now we'll take the win and smile."

Physical Statement: Dunn Sends Message

The fight between Kraken D-man Vince Dunn and Nashville presumed tough-guy Yakov Trenin occurred in the first period and, in such a nail-biter of a final 45 minutes of game time, some fans might forget it.
But make no mistake. Dunn is sending a message to the Kraken coaches and teammates that he will be a physical player and tough-nosed defender to go along with his much discussed and admired ability to jump into the offensive play.
After several consecutive checks on his teammates, including Josi nabbing Wennberg, Dunn put a resounding hit on Trenin. The Russian forward took issue and started the fight. Dunn's defensive partner looked ready to cover for Dunn, who wanted none of it, going blow by blow with Trenin. No backing down.
"That was a big hit and a great scrap," Hakstol said about Dunn's altercation with Trenin. "Dunner earned the power play [and its subsequent goal] for us."
The result was five-minute majors for each player plus a two-minute roughing minor on Trenin. Dunn spent the rest of the period in the penalty box but his teammates scored the tying goal on the power play he created. Checking out the bench during the fight, Kraken teammates were impressed.